We are planning significant improvements to Robert St. between Annapolis St. and Fillmore Ave. in 2026-2027. Roadway improvements are currently slated to include mill and overlay repaving as well as sidewalk repairs. In addition, we are working with the City of St. Paul to seek additional funding to make more improvements along Robert St.
In the meantime, we have made several repairs along Robert St., including pedestrian improvements and minor repairs of the Robert St. Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Paul in 2020 and repairs to the Robert St./George St. viaduct and the bridge over the Union Pacific railroad in 2022.
Any future work along Robert St. will be completed in coordination with other public entities, including the City of St. Paul and the Metropolitan Council, to limit construction disruptions for residents, businesses and property owners.
Summary of work
Began fall 2020: Test temporary curb extensions at the intersections of Baker St. and Robert St. and Isabel St. and Robert St.
Tentatively 2026-2027: Construction of corridor improvements
Complete: Repaired the George St. bridge and the viaduct between Cesar Chavez and King St. East, and repaired and resurfaced the Robert St. bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks
Complete: Micro-surface and restripe Robert St. between Annapolis St. (south of the Mississippi River) and 11th St. in downtown St. Paul (just south of I-94)
Complete: Repair Robert St. Bridge over the Mississippi River
Community engagement for the future of Robert St.
We are planning significant improvements to Robert St. between Annapolis St. and Fillmore Ave. in 2026-2027. As a part of this planning process, we are engaging the community to gather input on various topics, including safety improvements, accessibility and street design features.
In summer 2023, we distributed an online survey asking for people’s input to help prioritize future improvements on Robert St. Results of this survey will influence design options for future road improvements on Robert St. More engagement is coming this fall. For more information about past engagement on this project, including common themes we've heard from the community on future improvements, visit the engagement webpage.
Pedestrian safety pilot project
Curb extensions at Robert St. and Baker St. intersection
We installed temporary safety features at the intersections of Baker St. and Robert St. and Isabel St. and Robert St. in October 2020.
These temporary safety features, called curb extensions (or bump-outs or bulb-outs), visually and physically narrow the roadway. This creates shorter crossings for pedestrians and increases visibility for people walking and driving. Curb extensions will not take any parking away or affect access to driveways, but may make parking near the corner more difficult.
The goal of this project is to test the curb extensions before committing to them as a long-term design improvement at the intersection. While the curb extensions are in place, we are evaluating pedestrian and driver behavior and determining the impact they have on traffic, such as pedestrian usage and vehicle speeds.
There is currently no specific date for the removal of the extensions, but they will be maintained by MnDOT for the foreseeable future.
